Shloka 14
Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 23: Report of the Slain Sūtaputras, Royal Orders, and Sairandhrī’s Return
रथघोषश्न बलवान् गन्धर्वाणां तरस्विनाम् । ते मे वाचं विजानन्तु सूतपुत्रा नयन्ति माम्
rathaghoṣaś ca balavān gandharvāṇāṁ tarasvinām | te me vācaṁ vijānantu sūtaputrā nayanti mām ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “The thunderous rumble of the chariots and the mighty din of the bows of those swift Gandharvas is heard like a blow of lightning. Let them hear and understand my anguished cry: these sons of a sūta are dragging me away—toward the cremation-ground.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear and humiliation surface in crisis: the speaker, overwhelmed by the terrifying martial sounds, appeals for recognition and rescue while using a socially loaded insult (“sūtaputrāḥ”). It implicitly shows how distress can distort speech and ethics, revealing the tension between dignity and desperation.
Amid the clash involving swift Gandharvas, the speaker describes the frightening roar of chariots and bow-sounds and cries out for the Gandharvas to understand his plea, saying that “sons of a sūta” are taking him away—toward the cremation-ground—signaling imminent danger and captivity.